Aircraft pilots often maneuver an aircraft while on the ground. This may happen during ground operations such as when the aircraft is taxiing, being maneuvered to or from a hangar, or to or from a terminal.
Stationary obstacles on the ground, such as buildings, fences, tethered obstacles, and various temporary obstacles, may lie in the path of the aircraft. These obstacles can be detected by the pilot via line of sight. However, in many instances, due to the dimensions of the aircraft (e.g., large wing sweep angles, distance from cockpit to wingtip) and the pilot's limited field of view, it can be difficult to monitor extremes of the aircraft during ground operations. As a result, the pilot may fail to detect obstacles that are located in “blind spots” in proximity to the aircraft. In many cases, the pilot may not detect an obstacle until it is too late to take corrective action. Low visibility due to weather or the time of day may also contribute to the pilot not detecting an obstacle. To alleviate this, many aircraft include active sensors or cameras or to sense stationary obstacles.
Collisions with a stationary obstacle can not only damage the aircraft, but can also put the aircraft out of service and result in flight cancellations. The costs associated with the repair and grounding of an aircraft can be significant. As such, the timely detection and avoidance of stationary obstacles is an important issue that needs to be addressed.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that does not rely on aircraft mounted sensors or cameras, on flight crew personnel to sense obstacles, or on separate, individual transmissions from each stationary obstacle. The present invention addresses at least this need.